This invention relates to communication between devices over an active telephone wiring network in a residence.
Active telephone wiring networks have been used for data communication in frequency bands outside the telephone voice band. For example, Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) signaling is used for data communication over the local telephone loop that joins a telephone exchange or switching office and a customer premises, such as a residence.
Within a residence or a multiple-residence dwelling, active telephone wiring has been used to pass data signals, for instant, according to a 10 Mb/s Ethernet standard. International Patent Application No. US98/11197, xe2x80x9cTwisted Pair Communication System,xe2x80x9d filed on Jun. 1, 1998, describes several alternative approaches to such data communication over active telephone wiring.
In a general aspect, the invention provides a way of communicating at a high-speed over an active telephone wiring network in a residence, as well as communicating between the residence and a telephone exchange over the telephone wiring network. For example, communication between computers within the residence can be at 100 Mb/s, while data communication between the computers and the telephone exchange can be according to a DSL standard.
In a first aspect, in general, the invention is a method for data communication over an active telephone wiring network. The method includes passing voice signals in a voice band of frequencies between a telephone exchange and one or more telephones over the telephone wiring network, and passing data signals in a first data band of frequencies between the telephone exchange and a first location on the telephone wiring network. The method also includes bridging the data signals in the first data band and signals in the second data band over the telephone wiring network between the first location and a second location on the telephone wiring network. The method also includes passing the data signals in the second data band between a computer and the telephone wiring network at the second location.
The method can include one or more of the following features.
The method further includes blocking signals in the second data band from passing over the wiring network to the telephone exchange.
The method further includes blocking signals in the first data band from passing over portions of the telephone wiring network, including blocking signals in the first data band from passing over the telephone wiring network to the second location on the wiring network.
The first data band is substantially within a frequency band from 5 kHz to 1 MHz.
Passing data signals in the first data band between the telephone exchange and the first location on the telephone wiring network includes passing signals according to a digital subscriber loop (DSL) format between the telephone exchange and the first location.
The second data band is substantially at frequencies above the first data band.
Passing the data signals in the second data band between the first location and the second location on the wiring network includes passing the data signals in an Ethernet format.
Passing the data signals in the second data band includes passing the data signals at approximately a 10 Mb/s data rate.
Passing the data signals in the second data band includes passing the data signals at approximately a 100 Mb/s data rate.
In another aspect, in general, the invention is a system for data communication over an active telephone wiring network, which includes a first segment coupling a telephone exchange and a residence and a second portion forming a network within the residence, and over which voice signals pass in a voice band of frequencies between the telephone exchange and one or more telephones coupled to the second portion of the wiring network. The system includes a first communication module and a second communication module. The first communication module is at a first location on the telephone wiring network and includes a first port for coupling to the telephone wiring network and providing a communication path in a first data band of frequencies above the voice band between the communication module and the telephone exchange over the telephone wiring network. The first communication module also includes a second port for passing data signals in the first data band between the first communication module and a modem, and circuitry for passing signals in the first data band between the first port and the second port. The first communication module also includes a number of ports for coupling to a data hub and passing data signals in a second data band of frequencies above the first data band between the first communication module and the data hub, and circuitry for passing signals in the second data band between the telephone wiring network and one of the ports for coupling to the data hub. The second communication module is at a second location on the telephone wiring network and includes a first port for coupling to the telephone wiring network and providing a communication path in the second data band between the first communication module and the second communication module over the telephone wiring network. The second communication module also includes a second port for passing signals in the second data band from the second communication module to a computer at the second location, and circuitry for passing signals in the second data band between the first port and the second port.
The system can include one or more of the following features.
The system further includes a first hub coupled to the first communication module, and a modem coupled between the first hub and the second port of the first communication module. The modem bridges data communication in the first data band and data communication in the second data band. The system provides a data communication channel passing between the computer at the second location and the telephone exchange. This data communication channel passes over the telephone wiring network in the second data band between the second communication module and the first communication module, passes between the first communication module and the modem through the first hub, and passes between the modem and the telephone exchange over the wiring network in the first data band.
The system includes a second hub coupled between the second communication module and the computer at the second location. The second communication module includes a third port for coupling to the second hub, a fourth port for coupling to a branch of the wiring network, circuitry for passing signals in the second data band between the third port and the fourth port, and circuitry for passing signals in the voice band between the first port and the fourth port.
The system includes a filter module on the wiring network at a location between the telephone exchange and the first and the second locations at with the communication modules are located. The filter modules includes a filter for blocking signals in the second data band from passing from the communication modules to the telephone exchange.
The filter module includes a filter for blocking signals in the first data band from passing from the telephone exchange to a portion of the wiring network.
The filter module further includes a circuitry for passing signals in the second data band between branches of the wiring network that extend from the filter module.
The invention has an advantage that it enables high speed communication among computers within a residence making use of active telephone wires, while concurrently enabling data communication between those computers and a telephone exchange, which may provide a communication path to other computers, for example, over the Internet.
The invention also has the advantage that additional signals, such as video signals, can be passed within the residence concurrently with data communication making use of common circuitry for both data and video communication.
Other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description, and from the claims.